Blake gave JJJ the scoop on how he scored the awesome role as Chuck, as well as what it was like bonding with the other guys on set. Check it out!

Don’t forget – The Maze Runner hits theaters on Friday, September 19!

JustJaredJr.com: So we heard you landed the role after launching a social media campaign. Tell us about that!

Blake Cooper: It all started with a Facebook message from a friend, Olivia. Her message basically said that she heard her favorite book called “The Maze Runner” was being made into a movie and she thought that I would be perfect for the role of Chuck. I had never heard of the book before (surprisingly) and my mom and I decided to look into it and read the book, which we did and absolutely LOVED it. My mom and I agreed that I was perfect for the role so we asked our agent in Atlanta if she could get me an audition.

Unfortunately she could not get in touch with the casting director so I decided to take to twitter and see if I could ask the director (Wes Ball) if he could give me a chance at the role. But, Wes didn’t notice at first until the “Maze Runner” fandom saw it and thought the same as my mom and I did. The fans thought I was perfect for this role. The mob of fans made fan art of me, and cool posters and things. It was one of the most incredible things anyone could do for me (THANKS GUYS)! Eventually Wes took notice and decided to give me a chance and got me an audition. And the rest is history.

Click inside to read the rest of our interview with Blake Cooper…

JustJaredJr.com Interview – Blake Cooper

JJJ: Which scene did you audition with, and did you feel confident you were going to nab the part?

BC: I had three scenes for the audition, but I’m afraid I have to be vague with answering for spoiler reasons. Fans of the book may know what I’m talking about. The first scene was when I meet Thomas. The second I get mad at Thomas (unfortunately this scene was cut from the screenplay). And third is when I give Thomas a gift. And about feeling confident about getting the role .. The business is so unpredictable and there are so many factors that you cannot control that you really just need to do the audition and forget about it. So, that was what I did. I did not get my hopes up.

JJJ: Chuck definitely has his fair share of struggles. What drew you to him in the first place?

BC: Chuck and I are very similar in different ways. Like, for example I’m brave when it comes to say roller coasters and things like that but if it were me facing a griever, I’d probably pee my pants (or klunk my pants)! So Chuck and I share many of the same qualities, but we share them in different ways if that makes any sense!

JJJ: Chuck and Thomas are obviously super close. What was it like working with Dylan? Did you guys get to bond before filming?

BC: Working with Dylan was the best! We got along really well and became good friends. Before filming there was a “Glader Camp” that Wes did for all of the cast. Basically he had survival specialists that taught us how to survive in the wilderness, how a Glader would have to act in that situation. So the entire cast bonded during that.

JJJ: Chuck is a bit of a prankster. Have you pulled off any good pranks lately?

BC: I’m not really the pranking type, but there were pranks going on during filming. There was one between Will Poulter and Dexter Darden where Will was sneaking fake love letters into Dexter’s pocket. Unfortunately Will was caught and the prank was over!

JJJ: The maze itself looks awesome. What was it like filming in Louisiana in that environment? Did it help you get into character?

BC: IT WAS SO HOT!!! I know I’m exaggerating a lot compared to other parts of the world but it was the hottest place I’ve ever been. It definitely did help me get into character. In fact, it helped everyone get into character.

JJJ: Who would you say you were closest with on set?

BC: That’s a VERY difficult question because we all bonded so closely on and off set, but I’d have to say Dylan because we had the most scenes together and they were very emotional.

JJJ: What is your favorite memory from filming the movie? Any fun set stories you can tell us?

BC: My favorite memory is probably the table read because it was the first time I met all of the cast and Wes and Wyck. We just sat down all together and read through the entire script, start to finish. The funniest set story is one I’ve told before. It was a night shoot and Dylan and Thomas had sort of dared each other to move in for an on-screen kiss. It was sort of a prank on everyone there! This had the entire cast and crew cracking up because it was so unexpected.

JJJ: Any other projects coming up you’d like to tell us about?

BC: I just finished filming the Amazon Studios pilot called Cocked written by Samuel Baum and Sam Shaw. Cocked is a dark and funny story about the Paxson Family. They’re broken people that are trying to fix their problems while running a gun-making company. Yes, it’s a family run gun-making company. The show is funny, mysterious, and surprising. Working on Cocked has been an amazing time! Brian Dennehy plays my grandfather! Sam Trammel is my dad! Jason Lee is my uncle! And, Laura Fraser is my mom! The entire cast is amazing!!